Other Applications

Cleaning and Degassing - Hydrocarbon Recovery and Waste Minimization

Tank cleaning
The patented process developed by Nalco Energy Services uses warm water, specialty chemicals and our proprietary monitoring system to clean tank sludge right in the tank.We design each tank-cleaning program in detail before we start, based on laboratory tests and the results of our design software. For you, this means:

Typical hydrocarbon recovery of more than 90% - recovery of 98-99% is common.

Little or no hazardous waste.

Clean sludge is typically ready to be removed from the tank within a few days or weeks.

Safe and clean operating conditions for your employees.

Quick and highly profitable results, every time.

Cleaning is in-situ; no belt presses or centrifuges are required.

Vessel and storage-tank degassing
The most effective cleaning and degassing chemistry in the industry reduces your downtime for turnarounds and helps cut expenses. You get:

Complete degassing and improved cleaning within a few hours to a day - much less time than traditional methods.

Alleviation of pyrophoric iron sulfide through the unique wetting action of Nalco chemistry.
A hydrocarbon-free atmosphere in the vessel, plus reduced environmental impact due to escaping gasses.

Quick entry and a safer work environment.

Desalter cleaning
As experts in the chemistry that makes desalters work, we know how to get them clean. Our proprietary chemical cleaning systems can:

Eliminate potential equipment damage caused by mechanical cleaning

Reduce desalter downtime, often by 80% or more over traditional cleaning methods

Cut your expenses for labor and outside contractors

Reduce the dangers of hazardous gas emissions and dramatically limit the need for personal protective equipment

Increase recovery of oil from sludge while reducing water disposal requirements

Lower your total cost of cleaning

Heavy duty cleaning
Call us for any heavy-duty refinery cleaning job you have. We have programs to remove oil, dirt and sludge from all types of refinery equipment.

We offer flexible solutions to meet your needs. We can utilize your piping and steam facilities – or through partnering with mechanical remediators, we can take complete turnkey responsibility for entire projects, including necessary mechanical installations. Either way, you gain the expertise and experience of worldwide experts in refinery chemical systems.

Fluid Catalytic Cracking

When the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) is run, the pressure is on to keep it running at or above the design rate with no unexpected downtime. Virtually all refiners are trying to squeeze longer run lengths out of the cat to maximize production and dilute the cost of turnarounds. There is the constant challenge of making product on spec and keeping inherently unstable products from turning dark. Environmental concerns have resulted in cooler main fractionators that tend precipitate ammonium chloride and plug the trays. All this and the crack spread make it even more attractive to downgrade feedstock from gas oil to include resid in the charge.

Nalco programs and support tools are helping refiners meet these management objectives globally.